3 reasons why India made the right call by dropping Shafali Verma in 2nd ODI vs Australia
Despite the return of vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, India Women squandered a winning position to lose the second ODI against Australia in disappointing circumstances and concede the series.
Mandhana slotted in at the top of the order alongside Yastika Bhatia, with Shafali Verma getting the ax after a run of poor form. The 19-year-old is one of the most exciting batting talents in the country and has a long career ahead of her, but few questions were raised when the team management decided to bench her.
While Shafali is still young and has plenty of room to grow, as things currently stand, she arguably doesn't deserve a place in the Indian ODI side. There are plenty of factors that point towards the same.
Here are three reasons why India made the right call by dropping Shafali Verma for the second ODI against Australia.
#3 India have other reliable options for the 50-over format
Yastika Bhatia was Shafali's replacement at the top of the order. While she hasn't been at her classy best over the last few matches, the left-hander is another precocious talent who has what it takes to succeed at the international level.
Yastika is a more sedate batter with an airtight defense, and she is slowly developing the attacking gears needed for the top level. Having a left-left combination at the top, especially when Mandhana is vulnerable against off-spin, isn't ideal. But it's something India can get away with, in ODIs at least.
There are other top-order options for the Women in Blue. Jemimah Rodrigues has the technique to open the batting, and while she has achieved more success at No. 5 of late, she is bound to come into her own soon. Others like Vrinda Dinesh and Shweta Sehrawat aren't far away from senior team call-ups.
#2 Shafali Verma hasn't been able to fix the holes in her game for quite a while now
Shafali Verma has been playing international cricket for a few years now, but her batting hasn't evolved in the way India would've liked it to. She still has a few glaring weaknesses in her game that make her a liability at the top of the order.
The incoming delivery was proven to be a major stumbling block for Shafali, and that manner of dismissal has become all too common over the last year. She is also susceptible to hard lengths, and opposition bowlers have sized her up and dismissed her with ease.
Shafali is a one-dimensional batter whose strike rotation and running between the wickets have often come under question. When her attacking strokes don't come off, the young opener is left looking like a deer in the headlights.
Concerningly, Shafali continues to remain a below-par fielder, with plenty of lapses adding woe to an already dismal fielding unit. This is an area of her game she should've made significant progress in, but that sadly hasn't been the case.
It's hard to justify Shafali's spot at the top of the order when these problems aren't being fixed over a long period.
#1 Shafali Verma's performances haven't merited her selection
Having said that, no batter is perfect, and some can find a way to score runs by relying on their strengths and somewhat mitigating their weaknesses. At the end of the day, the numbers talk.
Unfortunately, in Shafali Verma's case, the stats don't merit her inclusion. She averages less than 25 throughout 23 ODIs, with only four half-centuries to her name. She has recorded single-digit scores in her last five matches in the format, and her T20I displays haven't been convincing either.
Shafali's numbers are impressive at the lower levels of cricket, such as the Women's Premier League (WPL). But a break from the international circuit could do her a world of good and end up helping her in the long run.